(19) |
 |
|
(11) |
EP 1 517 143 A3 |
(12) |
EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
(88) |
Date of publication A3: |
|
30.03.2005 Bulletin 2005/13 |
(43) |
Date of publication A2: |
|
23.03.2005 Bulletin 2005/12 |
(22) |
Date of filing: 08.06.2004 |
|
(51) |
International Patent Classification (IPC)7: G01N 30/86 |
|
(84) |
Designated Contracting States: |
|
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IT LI LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR
|
|
Designated Extension States: |
|
AL HR LT LV MK |
(30) |
Priority: |
18.09.2003 US 665903
|
(71) |
Applicant: Wyatt Technology Corporation |
|
Santa Barbara, CA 93117 (US) |
|
(72) |
Inventor: |
|
- Trainoff, Steven P.
Goleta, CA 93117 (US)
|
(74) |
Representative: Eisenführ, Speiser & Partner |
|
Patentanwälte Rechtsanwälte Postfach 10 60 78 28060 Bremen 28060 Bremen (DE) |
|
|
|
(54) |
Method for correcting the effects of interdetector band broadening |
(57) Chromatographic separations are often characterized by multiple detectors though
which the sample flows serially. As the sample flows between detectors, it becomes
progressively diluted due to mixing and diffusion. This phenomenon is traditionally
called "band broadening" and often results in significant distortion of the calculated
physical properties such as molar mass and size. This is particularly true for the
case of monodisperse samples such as proteins. A new procedure is described whereby
most types of band broadening may be corrected resulting in more accurate calculations
of such physical properties. The conventional means for correcting band broadening
effects is based upon mathematical procedures that attempt to narrow the broadened
peak to its prebroadened form. Such procedures are notoriously unstable and often
result in unphysical results such as ringing, negative concentrations, or negative
scattered intensities. This disclosure describes a method to characterize the broadening
present in a chromatographic system, and an algorithm whereby the narrow peaks of
the upstream detector are artificially broadened so that they can be compared to the
broadened peaks of the downstream detector. Although the technique results in some
loss of resolution, its stability and generality allow it a broad range of application.
Examples include correction of RI detector broadening following MALS detectors, correction
of MALS broadening following UV detection, correction of viscometric broadening following
both MALS and RI detection, and all permutations thereof.